Youth Advisory Committee planning Mitchell’s Amazing Race

It’s fitting that a new fun-filled event is essentially the first organized by the fledgling West Perth Youth Advisory Committee.

The Amazing Race will be held Saturday, June 8 in Mitchell where teams of four-to-six people of any age will race against the clock as well as each other to complete a series of fun and exciting challenges.

A spin-off of the popular television show, the challenges and the race itself will hopefully involve West Perth business owners interested in having their business highlighted during the race, which is tentatively scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. and 12 noon.

“Some of the other youth councils in the area have done it so I thought it would be a good starter event for our Youth Council,” Recreation Coordinator Abbey Hemstock said. “I thought it would be an awesome way to get our name out to the community, especially because we’re asking local businesses to be involved. We’re kind of promoting our own group as well as local businesses.”

Hemstock, staff advisor of the Youth Advisory Committee, is pleased that there are eight active members, giving them the opportunity to advise council and staff their concerns and interests of the youth and teens in West Perth. The committee meets every two weeks during lunch hour at the Mitchell District High School (MDHS).

“The committee is going good after a slow start, they all seem excited about this event, so I’m happy,” she said.

On the day of the race, each team will be given a list of challenge locations and a time limit and each team will go around and complete them. One challenge example will likely involve the lifeguards at the Lions Pool and potentially involve breaking a set amount of water balloons over a determined period of time, Hemstock explained.

The team that completes them all and returns to the Lions Park – where the Amazing Race also begins – is the winner.

“Kind of like Minute to Win It type stuff,” she said. “It won’t be hard.”

There will be prizes for the top three teams, as well as the best dressed/most spirited team.

One major rule is that teams must travel on foot (no vehicles, bicycles or skateboards, etc), giving every team a level playing field to participate in the race.

The committee is also asking businesses to run challenges at their locations, or to possibly integrate their business or service into a challenge. If they want the committee to come up with a challenge for them, that can be done as well, Hemstock added.

“This gives the teams a chance to go into stores that they may not have been to before and promote the businesses,” she said.

The cost to register is only $10 per team, and teams are asked to pre-register by May 24 so the organizers can plan accordingly. Team participants can be any age but the team captain must be at least 16-years-old.

Teams can be made up of friends, families, neighbours or service clubs – the possibilities are endless.

“I think it will be fun for anybody,” she said.

Registration forms are available at the Mitchell & District Arena during office hours or from the West Perth website, www.westperth.com/westperthyouth. If businesses are interested in having their business highlighted, email westperthyac@gmail.com or call 519-348-9311 for further information.